Lavender Mint Coop Refresh Spray for your Coop and Home

Recently I was inspired by an Herbal Coop Freshening Spray shared by Jennifer at 1840 Farm. I set out to try her recipe but couldn't find any Lavender Dawn dish detergent, so I ended up improvising and creating my own recipe for a pleasant smelling spray that could be used in between cleanings to keep our coop not only smelling nice but also help repel rodents, insects and calm our laying hens naturally.

Ingredients

Handful of fresh mint (any kind will work)

Handful of fresh lavender leaves, buds and/or flowers

Bottle of white vinegar (feel free to substitute vodka - yes vodka!)

Mason jar

Spray bottle

Rip and crush the herbs with your fingers as you add each sprig to the jar release the oils. Fill each jar about halfway with the herbs, then add white vinegar (or vodka) to completely cover, leaving at least 1/4" headroom in each jar.

Screw the lid on securely and then set the jar in your pantry, in a cupboard or on the kitchen counter to 'age' for 2-3 weeks. Shake the jar every few days to reinvigorate the contents. The mixture should start to turn a purplish-greenish-brown color and smell fragrant.

When the vinegar smell has mostly dissipated, the spray is ready to use. Strain the contents and then pour into a spray bottle to use full strength - or slightly dilute with a bit of water if desired. Spray in your coop as needed.

About the Ingredients

White vinegar is a natural disinfectant. It has antibacterial properties, kills mold and is also an ant repellent. (Apple cider vinegar, while great for adding to your chickens water and drinking yourself for all its health benefits, shouldn't be used here - only white vinegar. Apple cider vinegar will attract fruit flies.)

Note: You can substitute vodka for the white vinegar. Vodka is an all natural cleaning agent that kills insects instead of merely repelling them. It is also antibacterial and kills mold and mildew, and is odorless.

Lavender is a naturally calming stress reliever, increases blood circulation, is highly aromatic, and also an insecticide. The aroma is highly beneficial to settle laying or sitting hens.

Mint is a natural rodent repellent.

I started using vodka (buying the largest, cheapest bottle I could find at the liquor store) and much prefer it to the vinegar because the vodka is odorless. In fact, the spray smells so nice that I use it in our home as well as the coop.

It's a wonderful, effective cleaner that costs pennies to make and is completely safe to use around your chickens. I use this cleaner in our home as well, the citrus oils make a wonderful de-greaser. Used as a Coop Cleaner in conjunction with the Lavender Mint Coop Refresh Spray, the combination will keep your coop (and home) should smelling lovely!Note: This spray is NOT a substitute for regular cleaning of your coop and at the slightest whiff of ammonia, all soiled coop bedding should all be removed and replaced with fresh bedding.

This sounds like it would be a great freshener anywhere! Thanks for stopping by Posed Perfection and leaving me a sweet comment. I'm your newest follower. I hope you'll stop by again for a visit soon and maybe even a follow back. Hope you have a great week.Blessings,Nici

This sounds just wonderful! I will look forward to spring when my mint will return & maybe even my lavender - not sure that will recover after our hard Alaska winters! Will be worth the wait, no doubt. Thanks for sharing!

You will love this spray! It smells so awesome! I don't use commercial cleaners at all in the house anymore. Between this one in the bathroom just for touchups and a nice smell, and the orange cleaner in the kitchen, our house smells great too!

This is also a great natural bug spray for people. I will go outside in the evening and I am eaten alive in just a few minutes. I go back in, spray some on my arms and legs and then stay outside for hours without another bite!

Lisa, thank you for linking up your wonderful DIY recipes for our HERBAL series! I love your pretty tutorials :) Also, I won a copy of your book from The Nerdy Farmwife! I can't wait to get my little fingers on it… First to look at all the pictures, then to implement all your ideas on our farm. Have a wonderful weekend!

Lavender Solution is really useful for your house, This cleaner that would kill germs without hurting anyone or also the other member of the house and leave my home sparkling clean..Lavender house care